Aerial torpedo



J. S. MATHEWS.

v AERIAL TORPEDO.

APPLICATlOI FILED JULY 5,19I7.

1,41 1 86 1 v Patented Apr. 4, 1922,

4 SHEEISSHEET I.

'1. s. MATHEWS.

AERIAL TQRPEDO. v APPLICATION FILED JULY 5'19I7- Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

4 SHEEYSSHEET 2.

- v42 azz/16w" 1. s. MATHEWS.

AERIAL TORPEDO.

APPLICATIOL FILED JULY 5,1917.

LMLSM; Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3- J. S. MATHEWS.

AERIAL TORPEDO.

APPLICATION Flu-g0 JULY 5. 1.917.

Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4- ST TES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN S. MATHEWS, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

AERIAL TORPEDO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

Application filed July 5, 1917. Serial .1310. 178,760.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. MATHEWS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Aerial Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification. 4

The present invention relates to improvement-s 1n aerial torpedoes, and the primary object is to provide a self-propelled aerial torpedo which is capable of flight through the air and which embodies means for controlling its elevation and trajectory during flight, and means for firingan explosive carried by the torpedo either by impact or by a time device, or both, the torpedo also having means for governing its range by stopping the operation of its propelling means when the torpedo has reached a point above the objective selected. A further object of the invention is to provide a relatively simple and efficient launching device for the torpedo whereby the latter may be directed at any angle in azimuthand at different elevations as may be required.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements, and combinations and arrangements of parts, all'as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the accompanying drawing Figure'l is a side elevation, partly in section, of an aerial torpedo and a launching device therefor constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 shows diagrammatically the torpedo at the moment it. is launched.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the torpedo and the launching track. I

Figure 4 represents a rear elevation, partly in section, of the torpedo and its track.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the devices for firing the explosive both by impact and by a time control, and'also the time control for automatically stopping the propelling means of the torpedo.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in the several views.

The present invention provides a device which is capable of carrying a high explosive and firing the same at or in the vicinity of a selected objective, the device being particularly adapted for use in warfare, and

especially in trench and land operations. The preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the. accompanying drawing and will be hereinafter described in detail, but it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the precise construction and arrangement shown, as equivalent constructions are contemplated and will be included within the scope of the claims.

The torpedo is in the form of an aeroplane provided with propelling means whereby itwill be capable of sustained flight through the air. 1 The aeroplane may be constructed in different ways. although it is preferable to employ a simple and relatively inexpensive construction. As shown, the aeroplane comprises a frame 1 which may be of wood or any other suitable material, uprights 2 from the main frame supporting a sustaining wing or plane 3, an internal combustion or other suitable motor 4 mounted on the main frame and serving to drive a propeller '5, and a tail 6 operating to prevent lateral connect the elevating planes at or near their front and rear edges and thereby maintain these planes in parallelism. The stabilizing means for maintaining the aeroplane on a level course comprises a weight or mass 11 which is suspended from the pivot 12, the latter being supported on stationary standards 13, and the bar 14 which carries the weight 11 is connected at points 15 and 16 which are eqni-distantly spaced above and below the pivot 12 to wires or cables 17 and 18, the latter being connected to the upper and lower elevating planes respectively at the points 19 and 20. The intermediate portions oft-he wires or cables 17 and 18 pass over guide pulleys 21 and 22 respectively. With this arrangement, the weight 11 and its bar 14 serve, in effect, as a pendulum, and the normal tendency thereof is to maintain a vertical position notwithstanding inclinations of the aeroplane. Relative inclination between the aeroplane and the pendulum, however, will cause tension upon the ca le 17 or 18 according to the direction of inclination, and such tension will be transferred to the elevating planes, causing the same to be tilted in a direction to counteract the inclination of the aeroplane. The explosive charge carried by the aeroplane is preferably contained in the weight or mass 11, this weight or mass being provided for this purpose with a chamber 23 to contain the charge of explosive. In this way the weight of the explosive may be utilized to afford the necessary weight for the stabilizer.

The launching device comprises, preferably, a track 24 which may be supported in any suit-able way and is provided with rails 25, and a carriage 26 is provided with flanged wheels 27 adapted to travel on the rails of the track. The aeroplane is adapted to rest on top of the carriage and means may be provided for retaining the aeroplane on the carriage until the moment of launching. For example, as shown, hooks 28 are pivotally connected to the opposite sides-of the main frame of the aeroplane, and these hooks are adapted to engage in eyes or staples 29 formed in the sides of the vcarriage. The hooks project laterally from the frame of the aeroplane and abutments 30 may be fixed at opposite sides of the track and arranged to be engaged by the laterally projecting portions of the hooks whereby as the carriage moves forward the hooks will be disengaged from the eyes 29 and the aeroplane is thereby disconnected from the carriage. A brake or stopping device is also provided for arresting the movement of the carriage when the latter has reached a given point in its movement during the launching of the aeroplane. Preferably, and as shown, a pair of friction brakes 31 are provided, these brakes being pressed inwardly or toward one another from opposite sides of the track by springs 32 whereby the carriage at a predetermined point in its forward movement will enter between these brakes and the brakes acting on the sides of the carriage will retard and arrest its movement.

Firing means for the explosive carried by the aeroplane may be actuated either by impact incident to the striking or falling of the aeroplane, or it may be operated by a suitable time device. In order to insure firing of the explosive by impact when the aeroplane falls and strikes the ground or other object, the weight of the aeroplane is preferably so distributed that, upon stop-- ping of its propelling means, the aeroplane will drop :front end foremost. The impact firing device comprises, preferably, a bar or buffer 33 which is mounted at the forward end of the aeroplane andis movable rearwardly thereon, springs 34 serving to mor mally hold the bufier or bar forward or in its non-firing position. The buffer carriesa contact 35 and another contact 36 is fixed to the stationary frame of the aeroplane, these contacts being oiit of engage- -ment when the buffer is in its normal position, but being brought into engagment when the buffer is moved rearwardly, such as would occur incident to the striking of the forward end of the aeroplane against an object or the ground. The contacts 35 and 36 serve to complete an electric circuit 37 which contains a battery 38 and'a suitable firing device 39 which is located in firing relation with the explosive. In order to insure firing of the explosive in the event that the impact fails to fire it, a clock 40 may be used having a contact 41 .arranged to be engagedat a. predetermined time with the contact 42, these contacts 41 and 42 of the clock being connected in a circuit 43 which also includes the battery 38 and the explosive firing device 39. The present invention also provides means whereby the aeroplane or torpedo may travel for a given length of time which should bring it above the selected objective, and for then stopping its propelling means to cause the aeroplane o-r torpedo to fall upon the selected objective, the firing of the explosive carried by the aeroplane or torpedo to be effected either by the impact of the aeroplane or torpedo upon the ground, or by the time device described. The automatic stop-p-ing device may, as shown in the present instance, comprise a clock 44 having a contact 45 thereon connnected to one side of the ignition circuit 46 of the engine, and a brush 47 connected to the other side 48 of the ignition system is adapted to bear upon the contact 45, this latter contact having an insulated section 49 whereby the ignition circuit of the engine will be complete and the engine will continue to operate while the brush 47 bears upon the spark or conducting portion of the contact 45 and the ignition circuit will be broken when the insulated section 49 of the contact reaches the brush 47. Breaking of the ignition circuit of the engine will stop the operation thereof and, in consequence, the aeroplane or torpedo will fall end foremost and its explosive will be fired by the impact firing device or, upon failure thereof, by the time-controlled firing device. It will be understood, of course,-that the launching track may beset at different elevations to enable the aeroplane to be launched in a manner to clear obstructions and, also, that the track maybe set at dif ferent angles in azimuth in order that the aeroplane or torpedo will be directedat the objective point. 1

Obviously, the present invention provides an aerial torpedo andlaunching means therefor which can be used either on land or at sea, it being necessary only to build or provide a track for the carriage. Furthermore, it will be understood that it enables the torpedoes to be launched without exposing the attendants to danger, as the, torpedo is guided by the track and it is automatically released at the proper moment from the carriage.

I claim as my invention 1. An aerial torpedo embodying a sustaining plane and cooperative propelling means including a motor for causing flight of the torpedo through the air, means for rendering the motor for the propelling means inoperative after the torpedo has travelled a predetermineddistance, means for automatically maintaining a level course of flight of the torpedo during its said predetermined distance of travel, the torpedo being so constructed that it will fall nose foremost When its propelling motor ceases to operate, an explosive charge carried by the torpedo, and means operative by impact at the nose of the torpedo for firing the explosive charge.

2. An aerial torpedo comprising means including a motor for propelling it and means for sustaining it for flight-through the air, the torpedo being so constructed that it will fall nose foremost when its propellin motor ceases to operate, elevation controlling means to maintain longitudinal equilibrium of the torpedo and thus cause the latter to maintain a level course during flight, an explosive charge carried by the torpedo, time-control means for stopping the operation of the propelling motor to cause nose foremost falhng of the'torpedo after the latter has travelled a predetermined distance, and means operative by impact at the nose of the torpedo for firing the explosive charge.

3. In an aerial torpedo comprising propelling means and means for sustaining it during flight, the torpedo being so constructed that it will fall nose foremost when its propelling means ceases to operate and the torpedo being constructed to carry an explosive charge, a stopping device for the propelling means, a firing device for the explosive charge operative by the impact at the nose of the torpedo, the stopping de- "ice being operative automatically to interrupt the operation of the propelling means after the torpedo has travelled a predetermined distance, and a time-control device for firing the explosive charge independently of the impact-controlled firing device.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN S. MATHEWS.

Witnesses: v

H. J. PALMER,

JOHN BERNARD. 

